In this new series, Sixers Wire looks at the 16 players, per Sportrac, that comprise the Philadelphia 76ers roster — 13 under standard contracts and the three players on two-way deals — and gives each three goals for the 2025-26 season.
The new season begins on Oct. 22, and training camp is right around the corner. Now is the time to begin previewing the new season of adventure that is Sixers basketball.
Up next in this series is big man Andre Drummond who is coming off a tough first full season back in Philadelphia. The 2-time All-Star played in only 40 games as he was limited by a bothersome left toe injury while averaging 7.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. He still showed off a great rebounding ability, but it was all a lot for him to deal with in a trying season for everybody.
For Drummond, his three goals are as follows:
Hold off the challengers
For now, Drummond is slated to be the backup big man, but he will have his challengers. Younger players like Adem Bona, Jabari Walker, and Dominick Barlow. It will be on Drummond to step up and continue to show that he can produce in his role behind Joel Embiid. When he is right, the big man is still a player coach Nick Nurse and his staff can turn to. He has been in the league now for 13 years so he understand what’s needed from him at this stage. He has to give the Sixers a reliable presence at the backup spot.
Be a presence defensively
Defense was a bit of an adventure for Drummond in the 2024-25 season. There appeared to be a few moments when he was unable to do much in terms of defending pick-and-rolls and it appeared he was being hunted at times. Obviously, he is much better than what he showed in the previous season so the Sixers should be looking for him to give more and get back to his normal self. One can assume the defensive struggles were due to the toe injury so if he is back healthy, he can make a big difference.
Be a mentor
This is something that comes natural to Drummond. He has taken Bona under his wing along with a number of other youngsters throughout his career. He has a ton of knowledge to pass down to the younger guys and the Sixers will be looking for him to be that guy to help the youngsters continue to develop. He can do so by showing off he still deserves to be the backup big man on this team and pass down tips and ways to help them grow and develop their own games.
